


Silver

by Atalto



Series: The Story of Us (Pebble's Shance Fluff Week fics) [6]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Cuddling, Day 6: Magic/Tech, Established Relationship, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Magic, Shance Fluff Week, minor injury
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-09
Updated: 2017-06-09
Packaged: 2018-11-12 02:51:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11152695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Atalto/pseuds/Atalto
Summary: Shiro returns from the Astral Plane, with wind at his fingertips and a gale in his head. Lance does all he can to help.~Written for Shance Fluff Week day 6: Magic/Tech





	Silver

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!
> 
> I can't believe we only have, like, 1 day left. 
> 
> Hope y'all enjoy this!

"Do it again."

An impossible breeze blew through the sealed bedroom.  
"Blue, are you ever going to get tired of this?" Shiro asked with a laugh, pressing a kiss to Lance's temple. In return, Lance pressed deeper into Shiro's side.   
"Nope."

* * *

 

The astral plane had done many things for Shiro, as he discovered. He'd spent two months floating through some strange, detached consciousness whilst the team struggled on around him. Black relayed information back to him, causing Shiro to rely on the Lion and increasing the bond between them. Once he was deemed healed enough by the Lions, he had materialised back in the cockpit with a gale in his head and magic that allowed him breeze at his finger tips.   
It turned out neither of the resident Alteans could explain it, having only seen anything like this before with the deepest of bonds between the Paladins of old. Even Coran had explained that Zarkon found it hard, only being able to summon a slight wind compared to the air that whipped around Shiro when his emotions got up.   
A successful mission? The Paladins would exit their lions to a cool gust welcoming them home.  
If a team member went down? Galra soldiers found themselves thrown against walls and floors with infinitely powerful arms of air.   
Whenever Lance smiled at him, he was sure the air gained a salty, sea-like tang to it.

It also turned out to be the only thing better at calming down the blue Paladin than the circles that Shiro would rub on his back. On bad days, they'd sit in a dimmed room with Lance cradled against his chest, and Shiro's hands would work the air though his hair, drying his sweat-slicked chestnut locks and tear tracks on tanned skin. When Shiro would wake up from flashbacks, reaching for reality through mudded memories, Lance would hold him as close as Shiro wanted, the wind a constant companion at his back.

* * *

 

"How do you do it?" Lance had asked one bad night, curious voice breaking. Shiro smiled tenderly and pulled him closer.  
"I don't really know." Admitted Shiro, grey eyes never leaving the silver wisps that lazily hung in the empty space above the bed. "I just think about it, and suddenly it's like being in a wind tunnel." His voice trailed off into a slightly sad laugh, aware of Lance tilting his head upwards on his shoulder.   
"Maybe ask Coran, y'know babe?"  
"Yeah." He nestled his cheek in Lance's curls. "He'll just tell me to keep training with it, like it's just another weapon."  
The Galra arm felt heavy around Lance's waist.  
"Hey." He felt an elbow jut into his chest as Lance rolled onto his chest, legs slotting between his and noses touching. It was slightly intimidating; Lance's eyes were staring into his, and he was acutely aware of Lance's hands on his shoulders. "It's not a weapon, yeah? It's a part of you now, and it's just as beautiful and soft as you, and if you think that just because, okay maybe you killed one or two Galrans with it-"  
"Kitten."  
Lance shook his head in apology, resting his forehead on Shiro's chin before looking back up. "What I'm trying to say is that it doesn't have to be a weapon if you don't want it to. But training will help you control it for good, not to help you kill with it."  
A tan hand rested on his cheek, Shiro sending a small smile towards the concerned Paladin on top of him.   
"Promise me you'll try?" Lance asked softly.  
"Promise."  
Lips briefly touched his, before pulling back when Lance rolled back off Shiro onto the bed. "I wish I could help you, y'know? So you're not alone with this."  
"Stop worrying Blue, I'll be fine." Shiro assured, rolling over and letting Lance wrap lean arms around his middle.   
There wasn't any reply.  
"I know that silence Blue, what are you planning?"  
Lance responded with a hum. "You'll see. Now, go to sleep. You need it."  
"Yes sir." He snarked back.  
As his eyes shut, he heard Lance huff behind him. They'd be okay.

* * *

 

When Shiro woke up the next morning, later than usual to his surprise, the bed was cold. Lance had obviously left earlier this morning and Shiro guessed he had let him sleep in. It took a bleary stumble around the attached bathroom and stubbing his toe on the doorframe to realise Lance's armour wasn't there either. Even after their extended period in space, the younger paladin still had a habit of rocking up to breakfast in his silk-like pyjamas, to the point where the Princess had stopped berating him on it.   
Maybe his boyfriend was just having a productive morning. Who was he to judge?

The problem deepened when Shiro walked into the shared dining room to be greeted by everyone but Lance sat around the table. He'd asked where the Blue Paladin was, only for a shrug from Keith to speak the words of the group for them.   
"I think I saw him going down to the hangars?" Hunk eventually said, unsure but not particularly worried, while he passed Shiro two bowls of food goo over the table. "If you find him, he hasn't eaten today, so maybe you can have a picnic or something!"   
Nodding, Shiro took the bowls and turned to exit. The hangars did Hunk say?

* * *

 

It turned out Hunk was right, Lance was in the hangars. When Shiro entered, the blue Paladin was animatedly talking to the colossus that was the blue lion, telling some story about his sisters on the beach. He obviously wasn't expecting visitors; he was sat cross-legged on the floor with his back to the door, arms waving to prove his points.  
"Sophia really wanted to go to the beach, see, but Mari wouldn't let her because of what mom said." Shiro watched Lance explain, fond smile on his face as he watched from the doorway. "So, she slipped under Mari's arm, and ran! Next thing we know, she's screaming about drowning because she hadn't learned to swim yet, so we had to go and get the lifeguard."   
"Was your sister okay?"  
Rapidly, Lance jumped off the floor, spinning around and tensing like he was ready for a right, only to relax the moment he saw Shiro.  
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to shock you." Shiro apologised, setting the bowls down on the floor and taking a cautious step towards Lance, who whipped his hands behind his back like a kid who'd been caught in the cookie jar.  
"It's okay!" He assured, slightly too loud to be believable. "I was just chatting to Blue here, bonding moments and all that." Blue eyes flicked towards the bowls on the floor. "That for me?"  
"Oh, yeah." Shiro handed him one over. "I was worried that you hadn't eaten breakfast."  
Hands brushed as the bowl swapped hands, and Lance stepped forward to kiss Shiro's cheek. "Thanks Kashi, you're the best boyfriend ever. See you at training, yeah?"  
Shiro barely had time to respond before Lance was out of the hangar, leaving him in a confused daze. Lance was definitely hiding something, but he wasn't quite sure what. Around him, the wind began to pick up in worry.

Why where his hands so wet, anyway?

* * *

 

It started to become a routine for them; Shiro would fall asleep in Lance's room, cuddled up together, and wake up to find Lance was gone. Stopping off at the kitchen, he would collect two bowls of food goo, then greet Lance in the hangars to listen as Lance regaled them with another story of his family's antics. He would always have slightly wet hands, yet with no signs of water pouches anywhere around the room. Once, Shiro had nearly slipped on a puddle that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere before Lance caught him.   
He told himself he didn't have any reason to worry. Lance told him he was fine several times a day, and Shiro trusted him.

It wasn't until Allura convinced Shiro to up the levels on the training sim that he noticed something was wrong.

"Alright team!" Shiro called to the line of Paladins in front of him. "The Princess thinks we would benefit from training against enemies with stronger stuff than a staff, and I'm inclined to agree."  
Lance was slouching, resting his weight on one knee with a bent back and half-lidded eyes, with black circles no amount of concealer could hide. He looked awful.  
"So, I'll be splitting you into two teams of two. Hunk, you're with Keith, and Lance is with Pidge." Hunk and Keith clapped hands in a bro-hug and Lance attempted to punch Pidge lightly in the arm. The glare she send his way told Shiro she noticed something as well. However, he couldn't stop the training now. As much as he was worried about Lance, he wouldn't let himself stop training for one person; Allura explained in a lot of detail how the Black Paladin shouldn't have favourites, despite romantic connections.  
So no matter how much he wanted to wrap Lance away in their room with a blanket and to kiss away his frown, Shiro couldn't do that.

"So, any volunteers to go first?"  
"We will!" Pidge's hand shot up in the air, receiving a snicker from Keith and a groan from Lance.  
"What, so you can give me and Hunk tips on how not to fail?" Keith quipped across the line. Pidge stuck her tongue out at him and elbowed Lance in the side.  
"Are you just gonna let him bring us down like that?" She asked playfully.   
Lance shook his head, standing up straighter and plastered what looked like a very fake smile on his face. "Hell no, bro!"   
Still worried, Shiro nodded his acceptance and walked towards the door leading directly to the observation deck, clipping Lance's shoulder as he walked past.  
"Kitten, are you sure you're up for this?" He asked in a concerned whisper, looking around to make sure the other Paladins weren't observing too hard.   
"For god's sake, I'm fine Shiro." Lance huffed in return, eyes rolling.  
"If you say so."  
"I do say so!" That was pushed through gritted teeth; Lance was getting mad with him, and he didn't know why.  
"Just don't push yourself, okay? I know it's Pidge, but she'll understand if you feel like you need to stop."  
"For the last fuckin' time Shiro, I'm fine!"   
"Alright then." Shiro stepped back, hands in the air. "But don't put yourself through this for the sake of it."  
"I'm not."  
"Okay." He nodded and continued his walk to the door, not looking back at Lance. He felt terrible, but his boyfriend's tone told him to back off.

When they reached the observation deck, it was Keith that was first to him side, arms folded and face frowning. "Is everything okay with Lance? He looks like shit this morning."  
Shiro shrugged, eyes closing as he sighed. "I don't know, but he told me he was fine, and although he's very obviously not, I'm not pushing it." He relaxed when he felt Keith's sympathetic hand on his arm. "He'll talk when he wants to, and when he does, I'll be there to listen."   
Keith gave a breathy laugh, turning towards the door to welcome in Hunk.  
"Hey Shiro! Is Lance okay?"  
Thankfully, Keith spoke up first. "We've literally just had this conversation." He said with a half-smile. "He's not telling us anything."  
"Not even Shiro?" Hunk asked, sounding slightly scared.  
Keith shook his head. "Not even Shiro."  
"Weird." Hunk said, face furrowing. "I saw him this morning in the hangars again. He must have broken a water pouch or something, because there was water everywhere."  
Someone else had noticed the water too then. Odd.

* * *

 

Pidge and Lance had relaxed into a good rhythm, Shiro noted, consisting of Lance baiting the gladiator onto his side of the room, only to shoot it back across into Pidge's waiting Bayard. If it took a swipe at either of them, they'd dodge with what hardly constituted a roll and continue the rhythm. Neither were faltering, Pidge hadn't even broken a sweat yet, but Lance's shots were beginning to miss their mark.

Shiro asked Allura for a break. She smirked, and raised the level.

The gladiator was now much faster, actually zipping side to side to evade Lance's shots, and if they did hit, it would dig its heels in before throwback knocked it into Pidge's blade. If she jumped forward, it would turn around and slice the air where she'd been milliseconds ago.

Lance shut his eyes for one second.

Turns out this one could sense weakness, and next thing Shiro knew, Lance was on the floor with a cry, undersuit torn through just under his chest plate. Pidge span around in shock, smashing her Bayard into the gladiator's side and running over to Lance. As the wind began to gust and gale around him, Shiro ran towards the door, with the echo of Pidge shouting "Stop simulation!" reverberating up the stairway.   
When he reached the bottom, Pidge was standing over Lance, helping him up with one hand whilst supporting his chest with the other. He was awake, at least, and when Shiro reached him he seemed to be fully lucid, albeit confused. The wind began do die down to a calming breeze.  
"What, what happened?" Lance slurred, transferring from Pidge's support to Shiro's arms and slouching.   
"You fainted in the middle of training, that's what!" Pidge cried in concern, hand never leaving Lance's side.   
"Did I?"  
"Yeah, gave us all a shock." Shiro joined in, squatting down to take a closer look at the cut on Lance's side. It wasn't bleeding, in fact had only ripped the protective under suit, but an angry black bruise was blossoming under the skin. "Do you remember anything?"  
Lance was quiet whilst Keith and Hunk ran into the room. "Not really. I-" he groaned. "I'm really tired." He made to move, trying to push himself out of Shiro's arms.  
Hunk was over in a flash. "Hey, man, just take it easy okay? Shiro, think you can sort this guy out? I think he needs some rest."  
Shiro nodded quickly, and gently led Lance out of the room.

* * *

 

About an hour after Lance had been returned to his room, Coran came in with Altean painkillers and an ice pack, which Shiro was ordered to hold in place and Lance greatly accepted. They sat in silence while Lance slept, exhaustion finally taking hold once Shiro had managed to make him drink and take the painkillers.

When his eyes fluttered open, Shiro was there next to the bed with a water pouch and a cold flannel, coaxing Lance to take a sip with gentle affirmations and a hand that danced fingertips over his nape. "Are you feeling better?" He asked, after sitting behind Lance against the back wall with fluffed pillows.  
Lance shrugged. "Better, I guess. I really needed that sleep." He gave a dry laugh, avoiding Shiro's eye.   
"Blue, you straight up collapsed from exhaustion."  
"How can I 'straight up' do anything, I'm pan." He gave weak finger guns, face falling as Shiro lowered his hands into his lap.  
"Kitten, this is serious. If you haven't been sleeping, you should have woken me." Shiro urged, shuffling next to him.  
Lance shifted uncomfortably. "It's not that."  
"Then what is it?"  
"I've been working on something, and I just haven't had time to sleep recently."   
"Care to share it with us?" Shiro asked carefully.  
Sighing, Lance went lax, a dismayed look on his face that said he realised he didn't have much choice. In front of him, he put his hands together in a cup and closed his eyes. Something began to pool in his hands, and Shiro had to look closer. It was a clear liquid, glinting in the light of the room, and a tinge of seaweed spread through the air.   
"Is that sea water?" Shiro asked incredulously, ignoring the damp feeling on his legs when Lance fell backward onto him.   
"Yeah." Lance confirmed weakly, smiling despite the energy it obviously took out of him.   
Shiro lifted Lance's hands in his own, checking around them as if Lance might have been hiding the source of the water. "How did it get here?"  
In his arms, Lance chuckled. "Well, I magicked it, didn't I."  
"What?"  
Shiro noticed the way Lance's face fell at his disbelief, like his physical exhaustion was something he was proud of.  
"It's a long story."  
"And I've got a lot of time." Shiro fired back.  
Lance took a deep breath, tensing in Shiro's arms. "You hate your magic. Don't deny it, I know you hate me talking about it. You think it's just another weapon."  
"I don't-"  
Lance elbowed him in the side, shutting him up immediately. "So I thought, maybe you would hate it less if you weren't the only one with it. The only paladin with magic, I mean."  
Shiro rested his head on Lance's shoulder. "Kitten, I love you, but where is this going?"  
"I started going to Blue in the early mornings, before you guys got up so no one would ask, y'know? I asked her how it happened, and how to get magic myself so you weren't alone with it."  
"So all those times I brought breakfast to you, you were bonding?"  
Lance nodded. "Yep! She wanted to know about my past, in exchange for me knowing about her power. I thought it was a pretty good trade. I started practicing summoning water with her guiding me, and, like, it's nothing near what you can do, but it's something."  
There was disappointment in his voice.

Everything suddenly clicked into place; the empty bed in the morning, meeting Lance near his lion always telling old family stories, the water splashed around the room. He guessed the exhaustion was due to the early mornings and late nights, so he hadn't been getting anywhere near enough sleep for near three weeks now. With that, he wrapped his arms around Lance's waist and buried his face in his neck, now feeling slightly guilty at getting mad at the Blue paladin for trying to help him.  
"Does it make you feel any better? At all?"  
Shiro nodded from his position on Lance's neck, punctuating his words with soft kisses to his hairline. "So much so. I'm sorry for rushing you, but you have to understand that you worried me shitless."  
"Yeah, sorry about that." Lance gave a guilty chuckle. "That wasn't exactly part of the plan."  
"Just don't collapse on us again, okay?"  
"I hear you babe." They shared a low laugh, and Shiro began to delicately twirl the wind around them.  
"Blue, do you think you could summon some water again? I want to try something."  
Lance looked startled for a second before smiling. "Sure Kashi."  
Within seconds there was a pool of water in his hands again that was lifted into the air by the breeze, glittering like stars against the black of the ceiling. A salty tang spread throughout the air, reminding Shiro of the beach holidays he would have with his family when he was younger. It also smelled so quintessentially Lance; he couldn't think of anyone else who loved the sea like his boyfriend.

"Takashi?"  
Shiro hummed in reply, not taking his eyes away from the sight above their heads.  
"Are you still mad at me?"  
"Oh yeah." He said with a smirk. "Very mad."

* * *

 

"Open up Lance, I bring peace offerings!"

Lance groaned on the bed. "Shit, I don't wanna' move."  
"Then don't." Shiro offered, nuzzling into Lance's back. "You don't keep your door locked."  
"True." He shrugged, and rolled into his back, pushing Shiro away. "Come in!"  
The doors slid open seconds later, revealing Pidge with a plate full of what looked like red doughnuts. She looked rather guilty, shuffling into the room and setting the doughnuts on the table quietly. When she looked over at them, she gave an awkward smile. "Hunk told me you were awake."  
Lance rolled onto his side to face her. "Aww, lil' Pidge-podge coming to visit me on my death bed? I'm honoured, really."  
"It's not your death bed yet, but if you pull something like that again you will be!" With that, she walked over to him and pulled him into a rough hug. "Don't do shit like that again, ever."  
"I'll make sure he doesn't Pidge, don't worry." A muffled murmur arose from behind Lance's back, causing him to smile awkwardly and elbow the lump behind him, only for Pidge to start laughing.  
"I know you're trying to hide Shiro but I know you're there." She said to the groan that answered. "It reeks of seaweed in here, and places always smell like seaweed when you guys are being gross."  
Shiro laughed, fondly smiling at lance. "We'll try and tone it down next time?"  
"Nah, don't bother, it's nothing as bad or as awkward as Hunk and Keith in the mornings. You should see them at breakfast, their pining is disgusting."  
Lance mock-scowled. "Mullet better treat my BFF for life right, or he's toast!"  
"That means you'll be the only one alone on the ship, Pidge." Shiro prompted, knowing look on his face. "But I hear the Princess is currently looking for someone to be on her arm at diplomatic meetings."  
"Oooh Pidge, do you like the Princess-"  
"That's my cue to leave!" Pidge squawked, heel-turning towards the door. "Hunk wants feedback on the doughnuts by the way."

She was gone within a matter of seconds, and Lance and Shiro were left laughing on the bed. Of course Pidge would have a crush on the Princess.   
"Oh god, Takashi," Lance groaned. "We're going to be that couple. Y'know, the ones that set up everyone else?"  
"I fail to see how that's a bad thing." Shiro said with a smirk, reaching across Lance's face to grab a doughnut from the plate.  
"Takashi, you're going to get sugar in my bed, that's gross! It's already all over my face, so thanks for that." He huffed, and folded his arms in mock anger.   
Shiro set the doughnut down on an untouched corner of pillow and looked down at Lance's face. "Oh sorry, whereabouts did it go?"  
"Like, everywhere, on my nose, on my lips, on my-"  
Shiro cut him off with a sweet kiss on his lips, which Lance pressed back into and deepened immediately. Shiro's lips tasted of strawberry, sugary and syrupy-sweet against his, and all Lance could smell was the overwhelming scent of Shiro around him.   
"Hunk's doughnuts that good, eh?"  
"Definitely, my Love."

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!  
> Kudos/Comments are my lifeblood


End file.
